The History Chicks

Despite press claims of being unsinkable, by 2:10 AM on the 15th of April, Titanic begins her journey to the bottom of the sea, taking just over 1,500 people with her. The stories of those people and the history of that night- that ship- continue to grimly fascinate 100 years later..It was all those histories that sent us to view Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at Kansas City's Union Station.

Molly Brown- the Unsinkable Molly Brown. A woman whose real life story was so much more impressive than the one that was assigned to her after her death.

In this minicast we discuss the life of of Henry VIII's most talked about wives-Anne Boleyn. Of all the six she lives on in story, speculation and fascination although she had a longer run attracting the Queen’s crown than she actually wore it. Anne died only four months after Henry’s first wife! (and by "died" we mean Henry had her executed.)

As we continue in our Tudors series, we take some time to discuss the life of Henry VIII’s first wife, Katherine of Aragon. She was born from royal stock, had a wicked awesome role model for Queenly duties in her Mama, and lived the life that was planned for her from a very young age. Ok, so maybe she didn’t have exactly a storybook Queen’s life, but a Queen she was born to be, and a Queen she became.

Henry VIII's grandmothers were brought up on opposing sides of the Wars of the Roses, but these courageous women worked together to help create the Tudor dynasty.

Yes, we will devote the rest of this series to the women, but we have to give you a teeny, tiny Tudor tutorial to set the stage. And that kind of talk requires us to focus on the men. Hang on for a quick and simple blaze through the War of the Roses and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty!

We are VERY excited! We discuss some upcoming plans on this podcast, as well as sharing some stories that happened behind the scenes. Thank you (again and again and again) for listening!

The only history that we look at in this episode is the history of the music we have chosen for Seasons 1 & 2! During each episode we try to pair music with the woman that we are discussing. Sometimes we shoot for a mood, a period tone, a literal reference... and sometimes, we pick a piece of music just because it makes us smile.

Our subject for this minicast is a woman who let her adventurous life soar! High above France, Sophie Blanchard was the first female professional balloonist and given the title “Aeronaut of the Official Festivals” by Napolean Bonaparte during his reign.

We focus on a woman who embodied sass, drive, creativity, brains, bravery and heart…and did it all under a name that wasn’t her own.

For this minicast we discuss a madam far removed from Madame de Pompadour. Another country, another time period, a different social class. However, both used similar tools to gain power and influence; both used brains in addition to body to make their marks, and both had ties to a title that they were not born to.

We attempt to be as PG13 as possible during this episode’s discussion of a woman who won the favor of a King, and is remembered as one of the most influential mistresses France has ever seen.

Once again, you asked and we answered! This week we discuss the other winner in our guaranteed content poll- the inimitable Ella Fitzgerald!

You voted - and we are pleased to present the first winner of our Guaranteed Content Poll- Georgiana Spencer Cavendish, The Duchess of Devonshire!

18-year-old Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley and the poets Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron were sitting around a fire at Lake Geneva. It was here that the three challenged each other to write the scariest story they could, Mary’s contribution would become her first published work and a tale so creepy that it would endure to present time, and beyond: Frankenstein: or the Modern Prometheus.